Goodwill Opens a Curated Vintage Shop in Greenwich Village

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Goodwill opened its first curated boutique in Greenwich Village on Wednesday. The shop, on W. 8th Street between MacDougal and Sixth Avenue, carries secondhand clothing plucked from Goodwill donations with an eye towards what might sell in downtown Manhattan. In other words, it's all pretty fashionable, and you'll probably recognize the names on the labels. (You'll also recognize the first two names of the manager, Coco Chanel Ogilvie, who was clearly born to work with clothes.) When we stopped by, we found a range of merchandise for everyone from the full-grown fashionista longing for a petite Burberry purse ($24.99) to the younger version hoping for a Millennium Princess Barbie doll ($29.99).

For women, the store carries frilly and floral skirts, shorts in a variety of colors and lengths, and dresses for every occasion. Tank tops and bright, light weight tops are under $15 each, and coats and jackets range from $9.99 for a Mossimo rain jacket to $69.99 for an Ann Taylor Loft pea coat.

The shoe selection was colorful and mainly seasonal, though we found a few pairs of boots mixed in with the black shoe rack. A vintage pair of Salvatore Ferragamo inch-heeled shoes were $24.99, while many styles and sizes of Mossimo, Ann Taylor Loft, Steve Madden, Nine West and more were priced at $14.99 a pair. The men's and children's shoe selections were smaller, but equally pleasing. (White Barney sneakers for children brought back so many memories.)

The men's selection was smaller than the women's but just as affordable. Suits ranged in price from $29.99 for pinstripe Calvin Klein and vintage Christian Dior to $34.99 for more recent Jos. A. Banks. American Eagle was abundant among the casual gear, but we also found a few pairs of William Rast distressed jeans for $34.99. And there's a fun-colored collection of Bahama-esque swim shorts in the corner.

In the back was a small but pleasing selection of home goods, including $7.99 Black & Decker five-cup coffee makers and colorful quilts and linens for $24.99 and under. And up front is the jewelry and vintage cameras. A Nikon was $149.99, the highest price for anything in the shop.

Overall, the store still looks like a Goodwill: Dim lighting, racks and racks of color-coordinated clothes, and white walls occasionally hidden behind artwork for sale. Then again, nobody's going for the decor—they're going for the bargains, and Goodwill is definitely providing them.—Jena Glick
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